Rebel Yoga for BJJ asks you, "What is the Piriformis muscle?”
Rebel Yoga asks you, “What is the Piriformis muscle?”
As a martial artist and athlete, you should be very familiar with this muscle and how it relates to chronic lower back pain, Piriformis Syndrome, and Sciatica.
First of all, the word piriformis comes from the Latin piriformis, or "pear shaped." However, the piriformis muscle itself is a flat muscle, pyramidal in shape, lying almost parallel with the posterior margin of the gluteus medius. It is situated partly within the pelvis against its posterior wall, and partly at the back of the hip-joint.
It arises from the front of the sacrum by three fleshy digitations, attached to the portions of bone between the first, second, third, and fourth anterior sacral foramina, and to the grooves leading from the foramina: a few fibers also arise from the margin of the greater sciatic foramen, and from the anterior surface of the sacrotuberous ligament.
The muscle passes out of the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen, the upper part of which it fills, and is inserted by a rounded tendon into the upper border of the greater trochanter behind, but often partly blended with, the common tendon of the obturator internus and gemelli. Now that I have thoroughly bored you with anatomical terms, lets talk about why this is very necessary for you as to understand at least the basics.
Why is this important to me as a fighter?
Piriformis Syndrome occurs when the piriformis irritates the sciatic nerve, which comes into the gluteal region beneath the muscle, causing pain in the buttocks and referred pain along the sciatic nerve. This referred pain is known as "sciatica." Fifteen percent of the population has their sciatic nerve coursing through the piriformis muscle. This subgroup of the population is predisposed to developing sciatica. Sciatica can be described by pain, tingling, or numbness deep in the buttocks and along the sciatic nerve. Sitting down, stretching, climbing stairs, and performing squats usually increases pain. Diagnosing the syndrome is usually based on symptoms and on the physical exam. More testing, including MRIs, X-rays, and nerve conduction tests can be administered to exclude other possible diseases. If diagnosed with piriformis syndrome, the first treatment involves progressive stretching exercises and physical treatment. Corticosteroids can be injected into the piriformis muscle if pain continues. A more invasive, but sometimes necessary treatment involves surgery exploration as a last resort.
As a grappler, or striker you need to learn how to notice the signs of chronic lower back pain, when to seek out medical attention, and how to keep up the general maintenance of your body.
Three yoga poses that Rebel Yoga uses to help relieve the pain of Sciatica and keep up the general wellness of the Piriformis Muscle. Note: Never do static stretches. Only stretch out your body during a vinyasa flow, or when you are already warm. Static stretching will cause injury.
1. Supta Padangusthasana, or Lying Big Toe Pose with a strap.
2. Utthita Parsvaakonasana
3. Ardha Chandrasana
Hope to see you in class!
Namaste!
Jason
www.rebelyoga.net
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